Water turbine



Sept. 23, 1924. 1509587 M. R. COLE WATER TURBINE Filed Nov. 23, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 'ein i gvwe'doz: QQLEA,

M. R. COLE WATER TURBINE Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,587

JVRQQLL,

Hou n nur Patented Sept. Z13, lili/2lin `UNlTE STATS PATET FFICE.

MELVLLE R. COLE, OF MNTE VISTA, COLORAO, ASSIGNOR F @NE-HALF 'IO WIL-LAM M. VASEINE, OF li/llOllltil VISTA, COLORADO.

TURBNE.

.Application filed November To all '207mm muy concern lic it known thatl', Munvrnnn ll'. Corn7 a citizen ot United States. residing at MonteVista, lin the county ot Rio Grande and State `ot Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful llinproveinents in lWater Turbines, otwhich the following is a specilication, reference being had therein tothe accoinpanyinp drawing.

The present invention relates to water turbines and motors7 and aiins toprovide a novel and improved power apparatus ot that kind tor utilizing'the combined gravity pressure and centrifugal action of the water.

Another object is the provision ot' a novel turbine structure whereinthe rotor or runner is driven by gravity pressure ot the water assistedby centrifugal action, for obtaining inaxiniun'i power and an etiicientand sniooth runningr action.

A further object is the provision ot such a turbine having novel ineanstor controlling' the How of water to regulate the speed and power.

lWith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent asthe description proceeds7 the invention resides in the construction andarrangement ot parts, as hereinafter cescribod and claimed, it beingunderstood that changes can be inade withn` in the scope oit what isclaimed, without departing from the spirit ot the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereinlligure1 vis a section on thc line 11 of 2 showing the turbine in fragmentaryplan view.

Fig, 2 is a vertical diainctrical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagraininatioal sectional view ou the line 3 3 ot Fig. 2,showingl the relation ot' the several sets ot blades.

The turbine casing has the cylindrical riin 7 and the truste-conical topS, and the water inlet neck 9 extending: upwardly 'trono the uppersmaller portion ot the top S. The

bottoni oit the casing' is open, and said casing is substantially intheforni oit an inverted tunnel, the lower outlet portion ci' the casing'being;v oit larger diameter and area. than the upper inlet portion. As

shownj the rirn 7 is einbcddod in a concrete base ot' a reservoir.

A vertical shaft 10 is located axially within the casing and pipe 9, andthe rotor es, ieee. serial No. 603,796.

or runner 11 o' the turbine is secured to the lower terminal of saidshaft for rotation within the casing. Said rotor includes a cone-shapedbody 12 secured on the shaft, and having al depending annular skirt 11i.rllhe rotor includes a trusto-conical ring 17 spaced above and parallelwith the marginal conical surface 13 ot' the rotor body '12, and aseries or" buckets or blades 18 are located between said surface 13 andthe ring 17. Said buckets or blades are suitably curved, as seen in Fig.3, and the ring- 17 will constrain the water to flow between and alongsaid buckets or blades when delivered against the upper ends ot saidbuckets. Eolts 16 extend through the ring- 17, buckets 18 and rotor body12 to clamp the ring and buckets to said body.

ln order to support the shaft 10 for rotation, an annular ball stepbearing 19 is disposed around the lower end ot the shaft 10 and seats onthe central boss or hub Q0 oi the radial blades or bridge tree spokes Qilocated below the rotor, whereby the shaft and rotor are. supported bysaid blades or spokes. The skirt 14C surrounds the bearing 19 and titsaround the hub 2() to protect the bearin The outer ends ot the spokesabut the riin 7 of the casino' and seat on a supl'iortinggringr or ledge22 secured in said rim 7 at the lower edge thereof. Said blades orspokes provide a spider or bridge which supports the bearing 2O at thecenter, thereby carrying' the weight ot the shattand rotori. and saidblades or spokes are inc-lined t. 1ansversely opposite Ito theinclination ot the buckets or blades 18 which move above said spokes.The spokes Q1. not only serve to support the shaft and rotor but arealso arranxfred for the inipiugring ot the water against saine whendischarged troni the buckets.

A conical shield 2b is disposed iinrnediately above the conical body 1.2ot the rotor, and carries an upstendingu sleeve 2d at its apex thro-ughwhich the shaft 10 extends. rlhe lower edge of the shield terminatesadjacent to and slightly aberY l the buckets tl substantially hush withthe surtace 13 oit the rotor lziody. and water guides or deflectors 25are disposed between the lower edge portion oft the shield and the upperor smaller portion of the top 8 ot the casing', wnich is depressedaround the neck 9, asfalt Q6. rlhe guides or blades 25 are located bestween the shield 23 and said depre sed portion 26, and the. parts arepreferably integral or secured together in any suitable manner. Theguides or blades 25 are so inclined as tov deflecit. the water into thebuckets so as to impinge against and within the buckets for impartingrotation to the rotor. The top 8 of the casing is offset upwardly abo-vethe ring 17 tto be spaced from same, with the portion 26 substantiallyflush with the ring 17, whereby the portion 2G directs the water underthe ring 17 to pass through the annular water space of the roltorbetween the ring 17 and surface 13 in which the. buckets 13 are located.

The shaft 1() is journaled in. the upst-anding sleeve 24, to support theshaft in vertical position for free rotation. Thus Ithe sleeve 24 has arecess 27 in its upper terminal in which a. bearing` for the shaft isdisposed. As shown, rollers 28 are disposed in said recess to provide ananti-frictional bearing, and an annular plug 29 is screwthreaded intosaid recess for concealing the rollers and fits snugly around the shaft.

In order 'to cont-rol the flow of water to the rotor, so as to regulatethe speed and power, a cylindrical gate or sleeve valve 30 is slidablevertically in the neck 9 and when slid downwardly will restrict the flowof wat-er into the annular space. between the shield 23 and port-ion 26,and 'the lower down the valve is moved, the more will be the reductionin the flow of water under the lower edge of the valve to the guides orblades and rotor. The water flows down through the valve or sleeve 30and is deflected by the shield 23 under ltzhe lower edge of the valve tothe guides or blades 25.

The valve 30 is automatically controlled, whereby the speed of the rotorcan be maintained uniform. Thus, the valve 30 is suspended by chains 31or other flexible or snitaible suspending members, from the outstandingarms 32 of a sleeve 33 fitted loosely onthe shaft 10, preferably abo-vethe water level. The sleeve 33 is yieldingly rais-ed by a spring 34surrounding the shaftl and confined between the sleeve 33 and a collarsecured on the shaft below said sleeve. The valve 30 is therefore`raised by the spring 34, to open the valve, and a governor 36 is mountedon the shaftl and is operable for closing the valve more or less as thespeed of the rotor and shaft varies. The governor 36, as' shown,comprises the spider 37 secured tor the shaft above the sleeve andweighted arms 38 pivoted to said spider, and having the arms 39 bearingon an annular Hange @tO'of the sleeve 33, whereby when the arms 38 areswung outwardly away from the shaft and upwardly, the arms 39 beingmoved downwardly, will depress tne sleeve 33 against the tension of thespring 34;, thereby permittingt-he valve 30 to gravitate in the neck 9for reducing the flow of water to the rotor. The governor will thusautomatically reduce the flow of water to the rotor, when the speed isincreased, thereby rendering the speed and power uniform. The sleeve 33being disposed loosely on the shaft 10 will not rota-te, and can bcconstrained against rotation if necessary'.

lith the presentl arrangement, the buckets or blades of the rotor aredisposed in a conical arrangement and are inclined, for using both thegravity pressure and centrifugal action of the water for obtaining thepower to rotate the rotor and shaft. The shield 23 at the lower end ofthe water inlet will spread the column of water to flow downwardly andaway from the axis of the shaft 10 and rotor, and the guides or bladeswill deflect the water so as to strike the buckets 18 and thus impartrotation to the rotor. The rotor buckets or blades 18 are so curved thatthe water in moving along said buckets away from thc vertical axis ofthe rotor will result in the centrifugal action of the rotor. it beingnoted that the gravity pressure of the water directed against thebuckets will not only impart torque to the rotor, but the water inmoving away from the axis of the rotor in the buckets 18 will, bycentrifugal action, assist in turning the rotor. The water dischargesfrom the buckets 18 in the manner of a Barkers mill, and thc reactionthus provided will further assist in the rotation of the rotor. Thewater is discharged from the buckets in :v direction opposite to thedirection of rotation and in striking the blades or spokes 21 will stopthe whirling motion of the discharging stream of water. In this way, thegravity pressure of thc water, centrifugal action thereof and reactionin discharging from the rotor will all combine for turning the rotorwith maximum power. The rotor will also revolve with negligible if anyvilnation, and thc turbine will operate ciciently and smoothly. Thebuckets or blades 1S of the rotor are inclined and so arranged andformed that they turn the rotor by the impinging of the water againstthe buckets by gravity pressure, by centrifugal action of the water inthe buckets when moving mitwardly in the buckets, and by the reaction ofthc water in discharging from the buckets. There are preferably morebuckets 13 than there are guides 25 and spokes 21, although the numbersand sizes of the parts can vary under different conditions.

Having thus described the invention, what. is claimed as new is 1. Awater turbine comprising a casing having an upper inlet, a verticalshaft in the inlet, a rotor carried by the shaft in said casing, asleeve valve slidable in the inlet for controlling the flow of water tothe rotor, means for suspending said valve from the shaft, and agovernor carried by the shaft cooperable with said means for controllingthe valve.

2. A water turbine comprising a casing having an upper inlet, a rotormounted for rotation in the casing below said inlet, and a sleeve valveslidable in said inlet into and out of the casing to control the iiow ofwater from within the valve outwardly between the lower edge ot saidvalve and the rotor, the rotor having buckets for the contact of thewater after it passes under said lower edge of the valve.

3. A water turbine comprising a casing having an upper inlet, a shieldin the casing under said inlet, a sleeve valve slidable in said inlettoward and away from said shield to control the flow of water fromwithin the valve between the lower edge of the valve and shield, and arotor mounted in the casing below said shield and having buckets beyondthe edge of the shield.

4. A water turbine comprising a casing having a top provided with awater inlet, a shield under said inlet within the casing,

a Sleeve valve slidable in the inlet toward and away from the shield tocontrol the low of water from within the valve between the lower edge ofthe valve and shield, water guides connecting the shield and top of thecasing around the lower edge of said valve, said shield having abearing, a shaft journa'led through said bearing, and a rotor carried bysaid shaft below said shield and having buckets beyond the edge of theshield adjacent to said water guides.

5. A water turbine comprising a vertical shaft, a rotor carried by saidshaft, a vertically movable valve for controlling the iiow of water tosaid rotor, means for suspending said valve including a sleeve slidableon said shaft, means carriedby said shaft tor yieldingly supporting saidsleeve, and a governor carried by the shaft and operably connected withsaid sleeve forl depressing the sleeve, to lower the valve, when thespeed of rotation of the shaft is increased. In testimony whereof Ihereunto affix my signature.

MELVILLE R. COLE.

